Reasons to Visit the Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands are an intriguing destination for seasoned travelers. They provide unparalleled access to native wildlife, educational experience for the whole family, astonishing landscapes, and some of the most pristine beaches in the world.

Nine Reasons to Visit the Galapagos Islands

If you’ve already viewed Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, grilled shrimp on the barbie in the Australian Outback and tracked lions during a safari in Kenya, then you’re probably looking for your next adventure-filled vacation destination. The Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador, are a must-see destination for seasoned travelers.

A cruise around the Islands is one of the best ways to experience the pristine beauty and abundant wildlife of the Galapagos archipelago. Metropolitan Touring offers a variety of luxury expedition cruises that will suit anyone’s tastes, whether you’re looking for an educational family vacation or a romantic snorkeling getaway. With that in mind, here are the top nine reasons to visit the Galapagos Islands and some interesting myths that potential travelers may run into it. The more research you do on the destination, the better your final decision.

The Galapagos Are Easy to Get to

There is a widely held myth that travelers can only reach Galapagos Island through an arduous trip, but that’s simply not true in the 21st century. A Galapagos cruise makes the journey especially easy because you simply fly to one of the international-gateway cities in Ecuador (Quito, the capital, or, Guayaquil, the largest city) and then fly out to the islands and board the ship in the Galapagos. Cruising in comfort has never been this easy.

A Great Family Vacation

There’s nothing children love more than wild animals, and the untouched natural habitat of the Galapagos archipelago means that the islands are like the world’s largest national park. Your young ones can get their photos taken next to the islands’ iconic emblem, the Galapagos giant tortoise, or they can get an up-close view of the cuddly Galapagos sea lions sunning themselves on the beaches. Metropolitan Touring also offers different ways of catering to families and their young ones by organizing special children-friendly activities on board, and here’s how an expedition cruise can turn what seems to be another family trip into a unique bonding opportunity for all family members.

Galapagos Vacations: Family Tours
The Galapagos Islands Are An Ideal Destination For Families. This Is A Place Where You Can Find Something For Everyone!

Pristine Beaches

Sun worshipers won’t want to miss out on the chance to enjoy the Galapagos’ beautiful beaches. There are many great beaches in different parts of the world (Florida, Caribbean, California, etc), but most of them can get overcrowded and noisy. That’s not the case in the Galapagos where you can enjoy a peaceful, and relaxing time next to unique wildlife and providing you with access to some of the most rewarding snorkeling you’ll ever find on this planet.  You can watch the abundant wildlife, such as red-and-black marine iguanas, sea lions frolicking in the water, a torpedo-like penguin underwater, or you can kayak to explore the islands’ coastline. The sand on the beaches is another example of the Galapagos’ great diversity. The beaches come in a rainbow of colors, including white sand made from eroded white coral, red sand made from aged iron and green sand made from olivine-infused basalt. The real beauty, however, is how pristine it feels to be here.

A Bird-Watching Paradise

A cruise to the Galapagos is the trip of a lifetime for avid bird watchers. The archipelago is home to a vast array of avian wildlife, and many experienced birders come to the Galapagos for that reason alone. A cruise with Metropolitan Touring will give you the chance to get up close to rare species like the Galapagos albatross, the blue-footed booby, the Galapagos penguin, Darwin’s finches, frigatebirds, and the flightless cormorant.

View Penguins Up Close

Galapagos Islands Activities: Snorkeling With Animals
Snorkeling Is Great Way To Get A Close-Up Of The Galapagos Islands Iconic Marine Life

Even if birding isn’t your cup of tea, the islands are still worth exploring every inch of them. Where else along the equator will you find a penguin species that call the islands home. You’ll have a chance to view the Galapagos penguins up close while they’re taking care of their young, sunning themselves on the rocks and diving for fish in the bay. Keep in mind this is the most northerly of all penguins on Earth and the only one who nests on both hemispheres.

A Great Snorkeling Destination

The Caribbean and the Australian coast are known as the world’s premier destinations for snorkeling enthusiasts, but the waters off the Galapagos are one of the best-kept secrets in the snorkeling world. The pristine blue ocean will give you the chance to view underwater wildlife up close. In addition, you’ll be able to see the amphibious animals like the marine iguanas and Galapagos fur seals gracefully glide through the ocean. It is not much about the corals or the many tropical fishes, but the striking combination of animals living here: penguins, sea lions, tropical fishes, dolphins, fur seals, flightless cormorants, and more.

A Photographer’s Haven

Galapagos Islands Landscape Photografies
There Are Several Landscape And Moments That Are Ideal For Capturing Amazing Photographies Of The Galapagos Islands

The islands are a dream destination for photographers, whether you’re a professional who is looking for some unusual shots to add to your portfolio or you’re just an amateur who wants to share your family’s vacation snaps on Instagram. There are several “musts” for Galapagos photographers, including capturing one of the beautiful Pacific sunsets and getting a photo of your family next to one of the gentle giant tortoises. A personal favorite lately is a “selfie” right next to Charles Darwin’s monument on the island of San Cristobal.

Learn About Darwin

British naturalist Charles Darwin is renowned around the world for his groundbreaking theory of evolution that explains the vast diversity of life on earth through the process of natural selection. Darwin refined his theory during his presence in the islands back in 1835. Although he didn’t see the islands as a scientist, it is through his keen power of observation that gets him to analyze things from a totally different angle. The Charles Darwin Research Station, which is a stop on Metropolitan Touring’s Galapagos cruises, is dedicated to biological research and the preservation of the wildlife and marine life of the Galapagos Islands. Naturalist guides will have plenty of chances to share a little about Darwin’s special connection with the islands.

A Galapagos Cruise Makes a Great Vacation Package

If you haven’t seen Machu Picchu in Peru, a Galapagos cruise is the best way to cross both of those destinations off your bucket list. Take a look t how many Unesco’s World Heritage properties are being brought to you by Metropolitan Touring: Quito, Galapagos Islands, Cuenca, Lima, Machu Picchu, Cusco, and more.  Metropolitan Touring offers 12-day cruises to both destinations that will take you on a deluxe tour of the ancient Inca site and the islands. This can be a fantastic way of conveying natural and cultural attributes all in one voyage.

Updated:May 5, 2023

Published:May 6, 2016

CALL US TODAY

Machu Picchu & Galapagos Islands Tour 2024 Package: 12 days / Quito, Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu / From USD 9,598 per person

SHARE THIS POST

RELATED POSTS

TravelandLeisure.com

Condé Nast Traveler ONLINE

This small, secret rooftop of the restored Casa Gangotena mansion peers over Plaza San Francisco in the center of Quito’s colonial Old Town, the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Order a Cedrón Spritz, a refreshing mix of rum, lemon, sparkling wine, and fresh lemon verbena (cedrón) syrup and leaf, then revel in the mesmerizing, real-time montage of daily life in Ecuador’s capital as it parades past.

National Geographic Traveller

A Font of information, Klaus has spent decades in the field, leading tours in the Amazon, Andes and Galapagos Islands. He hung up his guiding boots a few years back and now creates itineraries for the tour operator, Metropolitan Touring. Adrift in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from mainland South America, Galapagos is one of the most biodiverse locales on Earth.

Cruise Critic

Santa Cruz II is a replacement for the much-loved Santa Cruz, which plied the waters of the Galapagos for 36 years. It is not a new ship; it was built in 2002 and sailed as Mare Australis under the Australis cruise brand, operating expedition cruises around Cape Horn and to Antarctica. Metropolitan Touring bought the ship in 2015 and completely refurbished it, launching it as Santa Cruz II in October 2015.

Telegraph Ultra Travel: 50 Greatest Hotels in the World

When this modern, minimalist, glass-walled jungle lodge opened in 2012, it changed the accommodation game in South America. Arquitect Alfredo Ribadeneira’s “protective cocoon” would impress in a modern city; in the depths of an Andean cloudforest, it is wild, audacious and beautiful. Though only 70 miles from Quito, Maspi Lodge sits in splendid isolation, perched on a cliff at the end of an unsealed road.

Terms and Conditions

Itinerario de 5 días / 4 noches: Basado en la tarifa regular (4214 USD + impuestos por persona)
Itinerario de 7 días / 6 noches: Basado en la tarifa regular (5672 USD + impuestos por persona)
No reembolsable. Aplica únicamente para residentes ecuatorianos en nuevas reservas directas realizadas, hasta el 30 de junio del 2022, con un ejecutivo de ventas del hotel. Válido para estadías hasta el 31 de agosto de 2022. No puede ser combinada con otros descuentos, promociones u ofertas. El descuento no aplica para otros servicios. El precio no incluye recargo de combustible de $20 por noche de crucero.

We have what you are looking for!